Soaring Hearts
by FallenAngelOfInnocence
Summary: COMPLETEThe Quidditch World Cup: People screaming and shouting from the stands, penalties, fouls, and a rather heroic accident causing Ginny to lay her heart on the line. DG. Epilogue done!
1. I Love You

            A/N: OK, Draco plays quidditch for England, it's the World Cup, and anything in italics (if it worked) is either someone thinking, or a memory. Whichever it is should be obvious. OK? OK. A/N

" Go, Draco!" yelled Ginny from the stands. 

            Draco heard his name and spun around on his broom. He smiled when he saw whom the angelic voice belonged to. It wasn't hard to spot the waist-length mane of fire-red hair sitting, waving at him from the Top Box. She gave a loud whistle and he laughed, waving back at her before returning to the game. 

Their relationship struck him as somewhat humorous. They had hated each other all through their years at Hogwarts. Then, three years ago, two years after he had graduated, he saw her. He was in Hogsmeade for the day with some old school friends and she was there alone, just stepping out of a small gift shop when he spotted her. He had barely recognized her at all, but for some reason he had known her instantly. He had never paid her any attention in school. None at all. And seeing her then, and really _looking _at her, had thrown him into a state of shock. Little Ginny Weasley wasn't so little anymore. Little Ginny Weasley had grown up. Her fire-red hair had reached her waist, she was certainly taller, she wore a little more make-up, the deep black mascara on her long eyelashes drawing immediate attention to her bright green eyes, and her body itself had matured her into a beautiful young woman. 

Draco smiled remembering that day. They had ended up talking and agreeing to possibly get together some time. They had gotten together and found they really liked one another. From there, the deep likeness had slowly turned to love. A deep, passionate love. The kind of love that storybooks say conquers all. They were the most unlikely match, but nothing could have made either of them change their mind. 

The sun was shining brightly as Draco, Marcus Flint, Crabbe and Goyle walked along the High Street in Hogsmeade. Draco wasn't paying any attention to exactly where they were walking until Marcus suddenly stuck out his arm to stop him and Crabbe and Goyle walked into them, obviously not paying attention either. Before Draco could say a single rude or scathing word, Marcus spoke. " Who's that?" He asked. Draco followed his gaze and felt his breath catch in his throat. A young woman had just walked out of a small antique gift shop. Her silky fire-red hair hung to the waist of her little white sundress. Draco and Flint watched her slim legs as she descended the small steps to the sidewalk. 

_" Ginny Weasley," breathed Draco. _

_" What?!" asked Flint in disbelief. " No! Not little Ginny Weasley!"_

_Draco slowly nodded. He had no idea how he knew, he just sort of… did. He was suddenly struck with an absurd idea, and next thing he knew, he had pushed Flint's arm out of the way and started walking towards her. When he was within a few feet of her he said timidly, " Ginny?" To his great relief, and small surprise that it really was her, she turned to look at him. _

_" Draco?" she asked, sounding rather confused. " Draco Malfoy?"_

_He smiled and nodded. She remembered him. _

_" What do you want?" she asked almost defiantly. _

_Draco was slightly taken aback. " I just wanted to say hello, and see how you were doing." _

_She eyed him suspiciously. He was suddenly hit with a jolt of realization. _

_" Don't worry, I'm not here to taunt you or anything. Those were school days. We're both mature young adults who can have a civilized conversation on the street, aren't we?" _

_He let out the breath he didn't even know he had been holding as she gave him a small smile. " You're right. We are." _

_He smiled back. He opened his mouth to speak again and hesitated. She must have noticed because she was looking at him with her perfect eyebrows raised as though waiting. " Wouldyouliketogetacoffee?" The words came out in a rush._

_" Sorry?"_

_Draco took a deep breath. " Would you like to get a coffee?" _

_She smiled at him, a genuine smile, and nodded. " I'd love to."_

Draco smiled and shook his head and focused on the game. As much as he loved Ginny, the Quidditch World Cup was on the line. He was Seeker for England and they were against Ireland. His former schoolmate Lee Jordan was commentating the match. He had gotten himself a job easily at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, but worked part-time in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. 

Draco heard Lee's loud, enthusiastic voice as England scored. Draco did a happy loop in the air, much to the cheering of the joyful crowd. It was now 90-70 England. 

" He always has to show off for everyone," grumbled Ron. 

" Look," said Ginny, smiling happily, " you didn't have to come, Ron. But you can sit there criticizing him all you like. Just remember you wouldn't even be here if it weren't for him." She added quietly. 

" I could easily have gotten my own tickets!" he retorted angrily. 

" For the Top Box?" asked Ginny, raising her eyebrows. 

Ron opened his mouth and quickly shut it again. There was no point arguing it. As it had always been, the Weasleys were not the wealthiest of wizards. Draco had gotten tickets for Ginny and Ron so that each could bring a friend. Ginny had brought Hermione Granger, and Ron had, of course, brought Harry Potter. They all jumped to their feet and cheered as England scored again. 

Draco heard the eruption of cheers from the Top Box and joined in. When the Quaffle was back in play, he resumed his search for the Snitch. 

" Parker in possession!" came Lee's projected voice. " He dodges Michigan- he just missed that bludger- he dodges Morten, and his path looks clear! He's heading for the Keeper! And- Ooh! I bet that hurt!" 

Colin Trinston had collided hard with Parker, nearly knocking him off his broom. The crowd booed and shouted many other rude things at the Irish team, who didn't seem too pleased with Trinston themselves. The referee called a foul. 

" Damn right it's a foul!" shouted Draco, angrily. 

A penalty was given and Taylor flew over to take the shot. Draco looked over at Parker. He was swaying slightly on his broom, apparently dizzy from the collision. 

" Draco, watch out!" Shouted Ginny. Draco heard, as well as felt, to great rushes of wind on either side of him. Two bludgers sped past him. After a few seconds he realized where they were headed: Parker. Both were speeding directly at him, and he had not noticed due to his dizziness. In fact, it appeared as though no one but Draco had noticed where they were going. 

" Parker!" He yelled, but Parker couldn't hear him over the roar of the crowd as Taylor scored. Draco forgot all about the Snitch and shot towards parker at full speed. Parker looked up. Draco got to him before the bludgers and pushed him as hard as he could out of the way, but didn't get out of the way quick enough himself. Both bludgers hit him square in the chest with a very distinct crack and he was launched backwards off his broom. 

" Draco!" shrieked Ginny, leaping out of her seat and leaning over the edge of the Top Box. Draco fell for what had to have been at least seventy feet and hit the ground with a sickening thud. Hermione, Ron and Harry jumped out of their seats and next second Ginny was gone. She had Apparated herself onto the quidditch pitch. She could hear Ron yelling her name, but she didn't care. Tears stung her eyes as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her across the pitch to Draco. The rest of the English team was already forming a circle around him and Ginny could see a group of medi-wizards hurrying over from the other end of the pitch. She reached the circle and they let her through almost immediately as she had attended quite a few practices and they recognized her. She hurried to Draco, knelt down and placed his head on her lap. " Oh my God… Draco…" She whispered. 

" It hurts," he said, his voice cracking. His face was extremely pale, paler than usual, except for his cheeks, which were crimson. 

_Oh God… Please let him be okay… _Ginny prayed silently. She suddenly remembered when they first bought their apartment one year ago. They had both been so happy.

There was a knock on the door downstairs. 

_" So sorry. I'll be just a minute." Said the sales-wizard apologetically. _

_" It's quite alright." Said Ginny. " We'll just look around a bit." He nodded with a smile and hurried off to get the door, leaving the two of them alone. Ginny looked around the rather large bedroom. _

_" It's nice, isn't it?" asked Draco, as he wrapped his arm around her slender waist. _

_" Oh, Draco, It's more than nice. It's incredible. I can't wait!" She smiled happily._

_" Want to see the closet?" he asked pointing to a closed door. _

_" Sure." They walked over and Draco pulled the door open. Ginny stepped inside and looked around in awe. Being a wizard apartment, the closet was enormous. " It's huge…"_

_" Surprise," Draco smiled as he came in after her. He turned her to face him, leaned down and lightly pressed his lips to hers. They broke apart and Ginny looked up into his beautiful gray eyes._

_" Draco, this is wonderful." She whispered. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into another kiss. After a few moments they broke apart and just stood their staring at each other, smiling. _

_" You know what this closet needs?" asked Draco, looking around them. _

_" What?" She asked curiously as he leant down to kiss her again. _

_" A mattress." _

_Even though he was trying to kiss her again, Ginny couldn't stop laughing._

" That's incredible." The voice of the medi-wizard kneeling beside Draco interrupted Ginny's thoughts. 

" What?" Ginny and Draco asked in unison. The medi-wizard looked at Draco in what appeared to be disbelief. 

" The fall alone could have killed you, but adding those two bludgers it _should _have killed you."

The sweat was pouring off Draco. He closed his eyes and let out a slow, raspy breath.

" You're going to be okay. I promise." Whispered Ginny as tears streamed down her face. Draco closed his eyes and groaned. 

" It hurts so much." 

" I know, Draco. I know, just please hold on. You'll be okay, I promise." She cried quietly. 

Draco opened his eyes and looked up at her. Ginny felt her heart break. The last thing she ever expected Draco Malfoy to do was cry. His soft gray eyes were staring deeply and longingly into her emerald eyes. " Take my pain away," he whispered. " Please…" 

Ginny knew what he meant and leant her face down closer to his, her long locks creating a fiery curtain around their heads as they both closed their eyes and she lightly pressed her lips against his. He returned the sad kiss. Ginny realized with a pang how cold his lips were. They slowly broke the kiss and she opened her eyes. He opened his eyes and looked up at her. " I love you," he whispered as a silent tear rolled down his smooth face. That was too much for Ginny. She broke down crying in shaky sobs. " Ginny," he whispered. She looked into his watery eyes. " Please tell me you love me…" Ginny couldn't speak. The pain in her throat and heart combined was stopping her from even wincing now. She looked away from his eyes at his chest where he had been hit. She gasped. His front was covered in blood. She had honestly expected broken bones and some internal injury, but not blood. At least certainly not this much of it. She looked back into his eyes. " Please…" he whispered again. " I need your strength." Ginny sucked in a quick breath and poured out her heart and soul to him. 

" Yes, I love you! I love you so, so much! I love you more than anything or anyone else in the world, Draco. You _are_ my world. You're my everything. I'll never let go of you." As she said all this, she started crying again, hard, and took his icy cold hand in hers. She squeezed it tightly and kissed his forehead. " I'll never let go of you." She repeated in a whisper. 

As Ginny put all her feelings out in the open, Draco was momentarily stunned. The pain coursing through his body was immense. He was reminded of the number of Cruciatus Curses his father had used on him as 'punishment' and 'discipline'. He looked into her deep green eyes and was rendered speechless. He knew she had loved him, but not like that. He felt warm tears pouring over the outer corners of his eyes, slowly running down his face where the air hitting them made them cold. Before he had a chance to say anything, Hermione was leaning down behind Ginny, trying to pull her up. 

Ginny looked over her shoulder at Hermione. " They're going to send him to St. Mungo's now." She said gently. Ginny nodded and turned back to Draco. She leant down and kissed his lips one more time. 

" I love you." She whispered as she began to move his head. 

This was his last chance. She had poured her soul to him and he hadn't said anything back, but she hadn't acknowledged it. It didn't matter to her whether he said anything or not. She truly, deeply loved him. He had nearly died, and still might, and he couldn't bear to think of life without her. She had never loved anyone the way she loved him, as she had told him once. And he had never loved anyone like he loved her, as he had told her as well. She meant everything to him. She was _his _world. And he couldn't let her go. He wouldn't. Ever. 

Draco flung his hand up to grasp her arm- ignoring the excruciating pain it caused- as she lifted his head off her lap and she stopped abruptly. This was his last chance. He looked deeply into her eyes, deeper than he ever had before, and said, " Marry me, Ginny." 

Ginny's eyes opened wide and she was hurtled into a state of shock. She couldn't speak. She saw the look of anxiousness verging on panic spreading across his pale face and kissed him harder than she had meant to. She broke the kiss and smiled. A real, genuine smile, and whispered, " I'd love to." 

~The End~


	2. Epilogue I Do

A/N: You guys wanted to know what happened to our battered and bruised hero, so here you go! Ginny and Draco are getting married! Yay! Please r&r!!!! 

Draco's 'hell of a speech' line is from another fan fiction called Draco Sinister by Cassie Claire. You can read it if you go to schnoogle.com and look up Cassandra Claire. I have to give her full credit for this because it's one of my favourite lines! (Original line: _That, _and even Draco's inner voice, Harry thought, had a little bit of a drawl to it, _was a hell of a speech, Potter._) So lossa credit to her and again, please r&r!!!! 

Ginny slowly pushed open the door that led into the brilliantly white single room. She wasn't sure if he was awake yet, so she quietly tiptoed inside and shut the door behind her. When she looked up she smiled. Draco was awake and he was lying in the bed smiling back at her. He had his own room, courtesy of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. 

            " Yay, you came!" said Draco enthusiastically, although his voice was extremely croaky. 

            " Of course I came, Draco. Why wouldn't I?" replied Ginny as she sat down in the chair that had been pulled up beside the bed where she had left it from the night before. 

            " It's Thursday. Isn't it yours and Hermione's shopping day?" 

            " So?"

            " So, why didn't you go? I thought you loved shopping."

            " Of course I love shopping," said Ginny, " but I love you more." She added, resting her hand beside his. He grasped it tightly and looked at her. 

            " I love you." He said quietly.

            " I love you too." They simply looked at each other for a few moments before Draco smiled again. 

            " Now what have you brought me, love? I can see your pocket bulging from here." 

            Ginny smiled and rolled her eyes, but she reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a magazine and handed it to him. 

            " _The Weekly Snitch_! Thanks, Gin!" 

            " No problem, sweetie. I knew you would want to be informed on absolutely everything that goes on in the world of Quidditch." Smiled Ginny. 

            " You know me too well." Said Draco, with mock suspicion. Ginny laughed. 

*          *            *

            " So how much longer do I have to stay here, sir?" Draco asked the Medi-Wizard that had just explained the update on his condition. " I haven't been outside in weeks." 

            " Soon, Mr. Malfoy. Soon."

            " But you've been saying that for weeks! There're no windows in this room! I'm already pale as a ghost, I don't need an upgrade to albino!"

            " You won't become an albino, I can assure you of that, Mr. Malfoy." Laughed the Medi-Wizard. 

            " With all do respect sir, if you looked away and I stood up against the wall, you'd never find me." 

            Ginny laughed from her chair beside the bed. Draco was sitting up and becoming rather frustrated. " Exactly how much longer, sir?" She asked between giggles. " A real answer this time please. Not just 'soon.'"

            The Medi-Wizard smiled. " Two more weeks, Ms. Weasley." And he left the room. 

            Draco sighed. " I can't sit here for another two weeks." He moaned. " Can you wait another two weeks? I certainly can't." 

            " I would wait forever if I had to." Said Ginny, just above a whisper. 

            Draco turned, leaned down and kissed her forehead before placing his own against it. " You could?" He asked quietly.

            " I would." She answered. He kissed her forehead again. 

            " I guess two weeks is good then. I can handle that." 

            Ginny smiled. " At least I don't have to spend two weeks in a bed." She joked. 

            " Shut-up, Weasley." He joked back. 

            " I wouldn't talk, Albino." She laughed as he kissed her lips. 

*          *            *

            Two weeks flew by with daily visits and magazines, and soon enough, Draco was walking out of St. Mungo's, Ginny at his side. 

            The plans for the wedding were decided and made within three weeks, and, to his displeasure, Draco's request for dragons was immediately denied.

            Finally the big day arrived. 

            " You nervous?" 

            " No Marcus, I'm just chipper." Retorted Draco, his voice heavy with sarcasm. 

            " No, seriously, are you? I would be."

            " Of course I'm nervous, Flint! I'm about to marry the woman I love more than anything else in the world, and I have to do it in front of a hundred witches and wizards!"

            " Then you _should _be chipper."

            " What?"

            " Draco! You love her with all your heart! I know because I can never get you to shut-up about it! You should be happy to be marrying this woman in front of all those people! She's going to make you the happiest wizard alive! Walk into it with a smile! Sure, you're going to be nervous, this is it! You're going to spend the rest of your life with that witch and you're going to love it and love her as well! Now put on that devilish grin of yours, make the other witches in the audience wish they had caught you while they could, and marry Virginia Weasley." 

            Draco smiled, impressed. " That," he said, " was a hell of a speech, Flint." 

            " Thanks."

            " No problem. Unlike this bloody tie…" 

            Flint laughed.

*          *            *

            " I'm a bloody wreck!"

            " You are not, Ginny! You look absolutely gorgeous!"

            " Hermione, I think I swallowed a broken Sneakascope…"

            " Aww… Gin," smiled Hermione. She looked beautiful in her silver dress. The bride's maids all wore silver thin-strapped dresses, but Hermione was the maid of honor, so she wore the same, but with sheer bell-sleeves. 

            But none could think of comparing themselves to Ginny. Her fire-red hair was half up in a pile of curls and ringlets, while the rest was straight and sheer as glass, cascading down the bareback of a snow-white thin-strapped dress. Her veil was like a white waterfall breaking through a surface of fire. She had a large bouquet of white stargazing lilies and baby's breath. She was pacing up and down her dressing room in the tent, breathing heavily. 

            " Ginny you're going to be fine. You love him don't you?" Asked Hermione. 

            Ginny looked at her as if to say 'Duh!' " Of course I love him! I wouldn't be marrying him if I didn't love him!"

            " Okay! Okay! Stupid question!" Laughed Hermione.

            " Damn right!" Laughed Ginny.

            " That's the spirit! See? You're gonna be fine." Hermione smiled. " Now get your ass out there and do what you came here to do: marry a Slytherin." She said the last three words completely unenthusiastically. Ginny laughed and her best friend joined in. 

*          *            *

            " Just breathe." Whispered Flint as he stood at Draco's side watching him nearly hyperventilate. 

            " What the hell do you think I'm doing?!" Hissed Draco. The priest on his other side grunted in annoyance. Draco's cheeks grew slightly pink, and Flint snickered under his breath. 

            They were standing outside in the snow beside a frozen riverbank. On either side of the altar was a large white tree, covered over in enchanted icicles that wouldn't melt but continued to sparkle and glitter. Before them were rows of white benches, which Hermione had cast a spell on to keep their occupants warm in the winter air, without melting the snow around them. At the end of each row, nearest the aisle, sat a wizard or witch holding a silver cage that held a snowy owl. 

            The sun was shining, and the music played beautifully as Hermione took her place on the other side of the priest, a little way off to leave room for the bride. 

            The music blended itself into a different tune, everyone turned and Draco felt his chest jump as his breath caught in his throat. And there she was.

            Around the corner of the last row of benches, Ginny came into view, Mr. Weasley's arm hooked with her own. She was smiling and all her attention was on Draco. She walked up the aisle slowly, the sunlight reflecting brilliantly off of the snow and ice around her as well as her veil, which fell down her back to the snowy ground at her feet. 

            Forget hyperventilating, Draco wasn't breathing at all. At least, he didn't think he was. She had never looked more stunning. He thought he heard Flint whistle quietly under his breath and probably would have knocked his head off with a Beater club, but he couldn't move. He could not believe for a second that he was about to marry this vision before him. 

            Ginny's chest hurt with excitement. She couldn't stop smiling. She had waited her whole life for this. When she was little she never would have imagined that she would be marrying a Malfoy, but Draco Malfoy to boot. To be honest, she had hoped to marry Harry, but that all changed when he started dating Hermione. She knew they were meant for each other and let them be. Any thought of ever being with Harry at all disappeared that day outside the little antique gift shop on High Street in Hogsmeade. For three years she had slowly fallen in love with Draco, and the accident of two months ago had confirmed it. She didn't realize how much she loved him until she nearly lost him. Now she was going to marry him and become the happiest witch ever. 

            They had reached the altar. Ginny turned to face her father and Arthur leaned down to kiss her cheek in a very father-to-his-little-girl type of way. He nodded at Draco and winked and Draco smiled and returned the nod. Arthur was very reluctant to have his little girl and only daughter marry a Malfoy, but after seeing how much Draco made her happy, he decided to let it go. He now took his seat beside Molly and everyone fell silent. 

            Ginny smiled at Draco and he smiled back, feeling much better than he had. Neither of them stopped smiling, broke the eye contact, or heard a word the priest said until it was time for the vows. 

            The priest turned to Draco and smiled. " Go ahead, Draco." 

            Draco returned the smile, took a deep breath, and looked at Ginny. " Ginny," he took another breath, " All I'm going to ask you to do, is what you've been doing all along. You're so beautiful and I can't hold this in anymore. I have to tell you what it is that won't let me go: it's your love. It does something to me. I can't get enough of it. If you ever wonder about what spell's been cast on me, it's your love. It made me better than I was, and more than I am. To think that just by taking your hand did all of this happen. You made me who I always wanted to be. Now that we're together, I'm stronger than I've ever been. I've never felt so happy." 

            Ginny could feel the tears swelling up in her eyes. Draco was saying these wonderful things to _her. _He really did love her.

            " I've changed, and if anyone asks why," continued Draco, " all I need to do is say your beautiful name. I love you, Ginny." He smiled at her. In the front row, Narcissa was crying, along with Molly and Hermione beside Ginny. In the crowd, Lavender, Parvati, Pansy, Luna, and Blaise were crying as well. 

            Ginny could now feel the tears escaping their barriers and running in shiny streams down her face. The priest now turned to her and smiled. " Virginia."

            Ginny took a long raspy breath. She looked into Draco's eyes. " Draco," she smiled, " it's not the flowers you leave on my pillow. It's not the ring I wear around my finger. I don't need anything else in the world when I'm with you, when you're here beside me. You give me wings to fly, you catch me when I fall, you'd pull the stars down from the sky just so I could make a wish on every single one. In your arms I found strength I didn't know I had. In your eyes there's always a light to guide me. Draco, I'd be lost without you. All my heart has ever wanted you made come true. You could offer me the sun or the moon, but I'd still believe you gave me everything when you gave your heart to me."

            Draco was crying now. He had said he wouldn't, but he was. He loved her so much. Oh! How he loved her!

            " But I couldn't ask for more," continued Ginny, still crying herself, " because your love is the greatest gift of all." Her voice cracked as she finished. She could barely speak for tears, but she still whispered, " I love you." 

            Every woman in attendance was in tears and some of the men as well. Arthur Weasley was wiping his eyes on his cloak and smiling broader than he ever had. 

            The priest looked at Draco, still smiling. " Do you, Draco Lucius Malfoy, take Virginia Anna Weasley to be your wife?" 

            Draco, sniffling still, slid the small silver band onto Ginny's slim finger and looked into her eyes, smiling. " I do." 

            The priest turned to Ginny. " And do you, Virginia Anna Weasley, take Draco Lucius Malfoy to be your husband?" 

            Ginny, sniffling as well, slid the matching silver band onto Draco's finger and smiled at him in a way she never had. " I do." 

            The priest smiled once more. " Then Draco, you may now-" but his sentence was left unfinished as silver and white Filibuster Fireworks erupted in the blue skies, snow-white owls were released from their cages, flying high among the exploding lights, and everyone in the crowd applauded and cheered. Harry, Ron, Flint and a few others let out catcalls and whistles. The priest shook his head at the young couple before him and walked into the surrounding crowd, his smile never faltering. 

            Draco hadn't waited to kiss his enchanting bride. 


End file.
